Advertising and display device



Nov. 4, 1941. w. B. PENNEBAKER ET AL ,2

ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY DEVICE I Filed Oct. 11, 1939 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Mum/v a i 52 52 2 f9: BY JOH/VkCW/FARY ATTORNEY 5 Nov. 4, 1941.

W. B. PENNEBAKER ET AL ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 11, 1959 Patented Nov. 4, 1941 h UNETED stares PATENT orrIcE ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY DEVICE William B. Pennebaker, Scarsdale, and John V. Cherry, New City, N. 11, assignors to United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey I Application October 11, 1939, Serial No. 298,876 7 Claims. ($31. 21l-24)' This invention relates to display devices and gether to form a simple and inexpensive, yet more particularly to display racks or supports s dy a efficient, S pp device for a 0011- for inflatable pneumatic inner tubes. ventional inflated pneumatic inner tube or to Heretofore considerable difficulty has been exbe readily detached and folded into a compact perienced when attempting to provide suitable 5 space for storage or shipment purposes. means for adequately supporting supple and The supporting base I is formed in the shape flexible articles, such as inflated pneumatic inner of a hollow generally rectangular frustrated tubes, in an upright position for display purpyramid having relatively long front and rear poses. Racks or supports which were formerly walls 6 and somewhat shorter side walls 1. Each available for such purposes were not satisfactory side wall I is hinged y joined to the front and as they were expensive, awkward and inefficient. rear Walls 6 and is, in turn, divided into two The display device of our invention, however, halves or sections 8 and 9 which are joined along has overcome these and other objections by protheir adjac Vert edges to allow inward viding a plurality of associated elements formed collapsing thereof. The walls of the base I are of relatively thin sheet material and so con- 1 thus so hingedly arranged that when the sides I structed and arranged as to produce a Very simare folded inwardly the front and rear walls ple but exceedingly efficient and satisfactory supa e 34 50 dra wardly and the entire base porting device for an inflated inner ,tube. While collapses into a comparatively small space. our device may be formed of relatively thin and The upper edges of all of the walls 6 and l are inexpensive materials, such as plain or corru- 2U turned inwardly and downwardly, as indicated at gated cardboard, and the parts thereof are de- W i FigS- 1 d to form a finished pper ed e tachable from each other it is of such a sturdy for the as I d 0 Stifien d Strengthen the construction as to readily receive and securely pp portions of these walls 6 and 7 when in hold a conventional inner tube, or the like, in an se y making these PQ of double thickupright position for display purposes. The de- 135 ness. Inwardly projectable bracket portions ll vice is so constructed that the several parts are formed within the hollow base I, by St thereof may be easily and quickly assembled for Out portions of t inwardly and downwardly use or may be as easily and quickly taken apart turned upper edge It] at the four corners of the and folded into a relatively compact space for base I, so that the Sp plate 2 y be P d shipping or storage purposes. 3 within the open top of the'base I and rest direct- The invention will be readily understood from y p these bracket pbrtiohse plate 2 is the following description of a preferred embodif such siz as t fi e w n t pp r p r ions ment thereof, taken in conjunction with the acf t e Walls 5 and 7 and prevent inward folding companying drawings, in which: Of the sides 1 while the elements 3 and 4 Of the Fig. 1 shows a front elevational view, partly d sp ay device are being assembled The plate 2 broken away, of our device in assembled position also serves as a support for the inner tube suband with an inflated inner tube in position porting member 3 when the member 3 is folded thereon; and positioned thereon.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the three ele- Th main inn r u pp r in member 3 is ments comprising the lower part of our device; formed as a flat prefabricated blank or element,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a prefabricated blank of the general shape indicated in Fig. 3 and is forming one of the elements of our device; impressed along a plurality of predetermined Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken fold-lines so as to produce a member which may substantially upon the section line 4-4 of Fig. 1; be readily folded, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2,

and to form a sturdy and efiicient supporting member Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partly broken away, for an inner tube. The blank 3 comprises a of an element of our device. central horizontal portion l2 and a pair of hori- Referring to the drawings and in particular zontal end portions [3 interconnected by a pair to Figs. 1 and 2, the inner tube display device of intermediate portions forming upstanding of our invention comprises generally a support- 5( apertured brackets M. Each bracket I4 is formed ing base I, a spacing plate 2, a main inner tube y a pair of up d y foldable Wings or plates 15 supporting member 3 and an auxiliary inner tube and I6 and an intermediate connecting web H. supporting member 4. These parts or elements Eac Wine 5 5 s p d W a pair of side flaps are so constructed and arranged of carboard or t! a d ea W 16 is p d W th a similar similar material as to fit neatly and snugly topair of d fl ps These p l3 n W are folded inwardly, when in use, to increase the rigidity of the wings and accordingly and rigidity of the brackets l4. The central portion l2 of the member 2 is provided with a pair of flaps 20 which, when assembled, extend downwardly between the plate 2 and the front and rear walls 6 of the base I. The wings l and I6 and the intermediate web I! are cut away, as indicated by the numeral 2|, so as to form substantially key-hole shaped apertures which readily and conveniently receive and firmly retain an inflated inner tube in a vertical position therein for display purposes. The horizontal end portions l3 are also provided with flaps 23 which extend downwardly and fit between the foldable sides 1 of the base I and the spacing plate 2 when the parts of our device are assembled.

The auxiliary tube supporting member 4, previously referred to, may also be employed in our device as an additional means for supporting the inner tube 5 in a desired position and, when so employed, may be conveniently used for display purposes. However, it should be clearly understood that the member 4 might be omitted from our display device, if desired, without affecting the ability of the remaining structure to maintain a conventional tube in a vertical position. Nevertheless, we have found this member 4 desirable and useful since it serves the purpos of completely preventing sagging of the upper portion of the inflated inner tube and conceals the brackets l4 and other structural parts of our device.

The auxiliary tube supporting member 4 comprises a central upstanding plate 24 which is formed of two-ply cardboard or other sheet material and has an apertured tab 25 formed at its upper edge for engagement with a conventional inner tube valve stem 26. The two-plies of the plate 24 separate at the lower edge of the plate and extend laterally in opposite directions as flaps 21. These flaps are in turn provided along their free edges with tabs 28 and arms 29. The tabs 28 are arranged to extend downwardly on opposite sides of the inner tube 5 and into the apertures 2| of the brackets I4 so as to be confined in place therebetween by the pressur exerted by the inflated inner tube. The arms 29,

on the other hand, extend upwardly and outwardly from the flaps 21 and are attached to the tops of vertical side plates 3| so that these side plates may extend downwardly and curve outwardly over the brackets 14 and have their lower edges fitted firmly between the flanges 20 of the member 3 and the walls 6 of the base I, as shown in Fig. 4. The side plates 34 are provided adjacent their lower edges with inwardly extending tabs 32 arranged to rest upon the upper horizontal surface of the member 3 and correctly position these plates when in assembled positions.

When it is desired to assemble our device for display purposes, the walls of the folded supporting base I are expanded to the positions shown generally in Fig. 2 by moving the front and rear walls 6 outwardly in opposite directions until the sections 8 and 9 assume substantially straight-line positions. The brackets H formed in the inwardly and downwardly turned edge IU of the base I are then sprung inwardly from their positions adjacent the walls 6 and I to projecting positions where they form supports at the four corners of the base I for the spacing plate 2.

The inner tube supporting member 3 is next folded along its predetermined fold-lines so as to assume first the shape shown in Fig. 2 and subsequently that shown in Fig. 1. When in the position shown in Fig. 1 the brackets l4 converge upwardly and inwardly towards the imaginary center of the inflated tube to be positioned thereon. This relative angularity of the brackets I4 is of material importance in producing a gripping action between the inner tube and brackets which substantially eliminates any turning or twisting of the tube within the apertures 2|. The side and end flaps 20 and 23 of the horizontal portions I 2 and I3 are pressed downwardly to positions between. the plate 2 and the walls of the base I and serve to firmly secure the tire supporting member 3 in operative position. This construction and arrangement of the parts I, 2 and 3 is such that when assembled for use an inflated pneumatic tube may be firmly secured in an upright position without the aid of additional supporting means.

After these parts I, 2 and 3 have been assembled, and the tube properly positioned in the brackets [4 the member 4 is folded into the general shape shown in Fi 5 and the side plates 3| are placed upon opposite sides of the brackets l4 and pressed downwardly between the flaps 20 and the walls 6 until the tabs 32 rest firmly upon the upper surfaces of the central portion l2. Subsequently, the apertured tab 25 is sprung over the valve stem 26 and thus securely retains the top of the plate 24 and inner tube in relative positions and prevents sagging of the inner tube. It will be seen that the element 4 combines with the elements I, 2 and 3 of our invention in producing a sturdy and secure inner tube supporting device.

When our display device is to be disassembled and packed for storage or shipment, the tab 26 at the top of the auxiliary tube supporting element 4 is detached from the valve stem 26 and then the tabs and side plates of the element 4 are withdrawn from engagement with elements I and 3 and the lower part of th inflated inner tube. The inner tube is next removed from the supporting brackets I4 after which the elements 7 2 and 3 may be separated from the base I, When all elements are separated the main and auxiliary inner tube supporting members 3 and 4 may be flattened and then folded back upon themselves along one of their respective fold-lines so as to have smaller dimensions than those of the front face 6 of the supporting base I. Thus it will be seen that when the supporting base I is collapsed and the members 2, 3 and 4 are positioned adjacent thereto, all of the elements of our display device may be made to fit within a comparatively thin carton of but slightly greater height and width than the face 6 of the base I. A very convenient and compact package can thus be formed by the several elements of our display device which will be easy to handle and store when not in use.

The several parts of our device are so constructed and arranged that they may be taken apart and folded into a comparatively small space for storage and shipment purposes. While these parts are of relatively thin material and fold easily, it is emphasized that, when they are assembled for display purposes, they form a comparatively strong and sturdy support for a conventional pneumatic inner tube. This simple but exceedingly satisfactory display device can be easily and economically manufactured, can be easily and readily folded for storage or shipment, and can be as easily and quickly set up for use.

While we have shown in our preferred embodiment the upstanding plate 24 and the side plates 3! assimulatingan elephant for display purposes, it should be understood that any desired shape or configuration might be applied to these parts of our device without departing from the spirit of this invention. It-is also pointed out that although we have indicated the several elements of our display device as being constructed of plain or corrugated cardboard, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art other suitable materials might readily be employed therefor. We do not desire to limit our invention, in any way, to any one of the many different materials of which our device might be made.

Although this invention has been disclosed in connection with the specific details of a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood that such details are not intended to be limitive of the invention except insofar as is set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A display device comprising a hollow base, a spacing plate for closing the top of said base a main inner tube supporting member, and an auxiliary inner tube supporting member, detachably connected for supporting an inner tube in upright position, said main inner tube supporting member comprising a pair of upwardly directed inwardly converging brackets having apertures formed therein, said apertures including enlarged main portions and narrowed throat portions extending to the edges of said brackets so that an inflated inner tube may be inserted in and retained by said brackets, and said auxiliary inner tube supporting member comprising a flap portion for engagement with an upper portion of said inner tube and plate portions in en gagement with lower portions of said inner tube and said hollow base.

2. A display device for inner tubes comprising a hollow collapsible supporting base, a spacing plate operatively associated therewith for maintaining sioe portions of said base in extended position, and collapsible main and auxiliary inher tube supporting members carried upon and retained in position by said base and said plate, said main supporting member comprising a plurality of upwardly and inwardly extending apertured brackets for engaging and retaining an inner tube in vertical position, said auxiliary supporting member having an arm for engaging and steadying an upper portion of the inner tube, said base, said plate and said main and auxiliary supporting means being relatively detachable and in part foldable so as to occupy a comparatively small space when not in use.

3. A prefabricated blank of thin, flat and substantially rigid sheet material of predetermined size and shape and impressed along a plurality of predetermined lines so as to be readily foldable into an inner tube supporting device, said blank comprising a central portion and a pair of oppositely spaced bracket-forming portions, each of said bracket-forming portions comprising a pair of interconnected apertured wings arranged to fold upwardly to form recessed supports for an inflated inner tube, the inner wing of each pair of wings being shorter than the other wing thereof so that each pair of wings when folded into supporting position will slope inwardly toward the center of the supported inner tube, and fiaps operatively connected to certain of said wings and said central portion for engaging a support and retaining said blank in a folded position for use.

4. A prefabricated blank of thin, flat and substantially: rigid sheet material of predetermined size and shape, said blank'being impressed along aplu ralityiof predetermined lines so as to form a central portion, a pair of end portions, and a pair of bracket-forming intermediate portions, each intermediate portion comprising a pair of interconnected apertured plates provided with stiffening flaps along their respective free edges, whereby said flaps may be folded inwardly and said intermediate portions folded upwardly relatively to said central and end portions to transform said blank into a reinforced inner tube supporting device.

5. A prefabricated blank of thin, flat and substantially rigid sheet material of predetermined size and shape, said blank being impressed along a plurality of predetermined lines so as to form a central portion, a pair of bracket-forming intermediate portions and a pair of end portions, each intermediate portion comprising an inner and outer apertured plate having foldable stiffening flaps attached along their respective lat eral edges, the outer plate of each pair of plates being slightly longer than the inner plate thereof, whereby said flaps may be folded inwardly to reinforce said plates and said plates and said flaps may be folded upwardly relatively to said central and end portions so as to form tube supporting means, the difference in length of the plates of each intermediate portion being such as to cause these plates to slope inwardly toward the center of the tube to be supported thereby 6. A collapsible display device for inner tubes comprising a hollow base, a spacing plate, a main inner tube supporting member, and an auxiliary inner tube supporting member, detachably interconnected for supporting and retaining an inflated pneumatic inner tube in a vertical position, said main inner tube supporting member comprising horizontal portions engageable with said spacing plate and said base, said main inner tube supporting member also comprising folded apertured wing portions for receiving and supporting said inflated inner tube, said wing portions extending upwardly and inwardly toward the center of the supported inner tube, said auxiliary inner tube supporting member being provided with flaps arranged to operatively engage side walls of said base and being provided with a supporting arm for engagement with an upper portion of said inner tube, said base, main inner tube supporting member and said auxiliary inner tube supporting member being collapsible when detached, whereby said display device may be made to occupy a comparatively small space when not in use.

'7. A display device for inner tubes comprising a hollow rectangular collapsible supporting base having its upper marginal portion folded inwardly and downwardly to form a reinforced upper edge, inwardly projecting corner brackets struck out from said marginal portion, a spacing plate positioned within the collapsible supporting base and resting upon said corner brackets, and an inner tube supporting member positioned within the upper end of said hollow base and resting upon said spacing plate, said inner tube supporting member comprising downwardly extending side and end flaps snugly fitting between the base and spacing plate at the sides and ends thereof, said inner tube supporting member also comprising a central horizontal portion, a pair of intermediate bracket forming portions; anda plate of each pair of plates being shorter than the pair of horizontal end portions, each of said outer plates thereof, so that said, brackets extend bracket forming portions comprising a pair of upwardly and inwardly toward the center of the apertured plates;oonnect'edctogether alongtheir space normally occupiedby the inner tube. common edge, and. having the apertures thereof 5 of such size asv to firmly engage. and retain an WILLIAM B. PENNEBAKER. inflated inner tube-in. upright position, the inner JOHN V. CHERRY. 

